Occupational Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Health: Risk Assessment, Intervention and Prevention Across Occupational Sectors

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a major occupational health and safety concern and a leading cause of pain, disability, sickness absence, and reduced work participation worldwide. They affect workers across manual, industrial, healthcare, agricultural, transport, service, and office-based occupations. However, evidence on occupational ergonomic risk factors and prevention is often fragmented across sectors and disciplines, making it difficult to identify which interventions are effective, feasible, and transferable between workplaces.This Research Topic will focus specifically on the relationship between occupational ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal health. It will bring together research that connects occupational risk assessment with workplace intervention, practical prevention, and implementation. We welcome original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, methodological studies, intervention evaluations, and implementation research.Relevant areas include:• Ergonomic risk assessment across manual, industrial, healthcare, agricultural, service, and office-based work• Physical, biomechanical, psychosocial, and organisational risk factors contributing to work-related musculoskeletal disorders• Global burden, inequalities, and high-risk occupational groups• Application, validation, and limitations of tools such as REBA, RULA, and OCRA• Observational, biomechanical, clinical, and digital methods for assessing occupational exposure• Workplace redesign and interventions to reduce physical strain, fatigue, pain, and functional limitations• Participatory ergonomics and worker involvement in risk identification and intervention design• Prevention strategies and scalable approaches in low- and middle-income country settings• Responsible use of wearable sensors, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to support worker health and safety• Implementation, feasibility, sustainability, and real-world effectiveness of workplace interventionsWe particularly welcome studies that move beyond describing ergonomic risk and address how evidence can be applied in real occupational settings. Contributions should consider outcomes such as musculoskeletal symptoms, functional ability, quality of life, sickness absence, return to work, work participation, productivity, or health equity.The Research Topic is intended for researchers in occupational health and safety, ergonomics, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, biomechanics, epidemiology, industrial engineering, and public health. To maintain a clear focus, submissions should demonstrate a direct connection to workplace ergonomic risk factors, occupational risk, musculoskeletal health, or prevention. Studies focused solely on clinical diagnosis or treatment, general workplace safety without an ergonomic component, isolated technology development, or broad organisational wellbeing without a musculoskeletal-health outcome will fall outside the primary scope.By linking ergonomic assessment with intervention, prevention, and implementation across occupational sectors, this Research Topic will complement existing occupational health research while offering a distinct focus on work-related musculoskeletal health and practical prevention. Topic editors: Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Gabriele d'Ettorre, Suchismita Satapathy Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86706/occupational-ergonomics-and-musculoskeletal-health-risk-assessment-intervention-and-prevention-across-occupational-sectors